We don't need to live between two dystopias

I re-read two books from the early 20th century recently, books that are generally required reading in high school and so have impacted generations of readers. These books, "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley and "1984" by George Orwell, looked into the future after two world wars and the rise of communism and national socialism. Both authors tried to forecast how things might turn out in the future. It was bleak, to say the least. "Dystopian," meaning the opposite of utopian, characterize both world views.

Privacy is a theme that each author regards with something like nostalgia. In "1984," this is particularly clear with omnipresent telescreens, microphones and spies that make it virtually impossible to live a life or have a thought separate from the party line. In "Brave New World," Huxley imagines a world in which capitalism has taken over and pleasure has become the only goal and purpose in life. In this book, as in "1984," conformity to the system comes at a steep price for the individual.

It strikes me that we are arriving someplace between these visions. Recent words by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, suggesting that almost half the nation is beneath his notice, are reminiscent of an Orwellian vision of a world divided between insiders and outsiders. Needless to say, outsiders are beneath the contempt of insiders, along with anyone who dares to break the rules. Also mirroring the Orwellian world view is the invasion of privacy we are experiencing on many fronts. We don't have to imagine Big Brother anymore (I remember how frightening the idea was when I first read the book); we now live with him.

However, I think "Brave New World" may provide a better snapshot into the world we live in today. This is a world where artificially incubated and genetically modified humans own the planet, having walled themselves off from the few remnants of an earlier time. This vision is similar to the one presented in "The Hunger Games," a recent and very popular book series about the future. Both are worlds based on the pursuit of selfish pleasure by some, at whatever cost to others.

The term "Orwellian" has become part of our language, as we imagine a future that denies personal freedom and keeps us in a state of fear and anxiety. In "1984" the party line rules. In "Brave New World," privilege and status are everything. Is there another direction we can take, or will we always find ourselves somewhere between a dystopian and utopian universe?

There is always hope, despite the facts. We can turn this around if we want to. We don't need to continue needless war and conflict. Individual rights and privacy can be respected. The lower and middle classes do not have to suffer oblivion at the hands of the very rich. It is helpful to look back, and remember that we are not the first to deal with these difficult and challenging concerns. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," said George Santayana. It seems that some lessons must be learned again and again, generation by generation.

The Rev. Eric Duff is an Episcopal priest and licensed clinical social worker who writes this column for the Times-Standard, and can be reached at Eric6017@suddenlink.net.